CH 4

4: Killer Caterpillar

“Whoa, we really made a fortune today. Here’s your share, Sophia!”

“Thank you all very much! I’ll take my leave now!”

Faking a broad smile on my face, I left the adventuring party I had collaborated with behind. It had been one week since the outbreak on my land that was (probably) my fault. I was living my life as an adventurer for the second time in the neighboring city of Stella.

As I walked for the first time (although not really) on the cobblestone road, I pondered about how having my past round’s memories was really convenient.

To begin with, having a full grasp of the dungeon located at the edge of the city was a huge strength. Dungeons – evil caves located in historical places that endlessly produced vicious monsters – were dangerous places. We adventurers dove inside and defeated the monsters to prevent them from overrunning the outside, all while collecting monster teeth and skin to be made into durable material. Therefore, knowing where your targeted monsters were located and how to escape when necessary were indispensable skills for an adventurer.

“But I had so much trouble until I could completely memorize the layout… No one has time to leisurely check their map while inside a dungeon where no one don’t know where the monsters spawn…”

When I recalled the pain of my previous round, I reflexively sighed. But because of my hard work during said time, how to navigate dungeons had been ingrained in my body even with that ten-year break.

Furthermore, thanks to these memories, I could distinguish between “trustworthy adventurers” and “dangerous adventurers I shouldn’t approach”, so that was also helpful. As such, even I, who was naturally gloomy, could be temporarily added to a party of nice, veteran adventurers, and I successfully recalled the proper way to fight monsters within these few days. Now then… I have to do my best alone starting tomorrow. While I felt safer going together with a group, the rewards earned would be split among us. My land was in an emergency. My father told me, “We have some funds saved because of you, so you don’t have to send anything for the fixed fees,” but I didn’t know when everyone’s conditions would take a turn for the worse. If possible, I wanted to earn a massive sum within a year and give them the best treatment out there.

Additionally, I needed to gather funds quickly for my adventuring gear. Why, you ask?

“Oh? Is that Lady Sophia Gracia? She stands out as usual…”

“Yeah, that little lady from the boondocks, right? You can notice her right away even from afar~.”

Uweh! Sensing eyes on me, I quickly dove into an alleyway. Sigh… Yeah, I know I stand out. Not only was I an aristocrat-turned-adventurer, I was also the only woman out there who would go into a dungeon dressed in a pure-white dress! I played around with the lace around my chest as I thought back. The reason I was wearing such an outfit was my father, who was stupider than he was in my previous round.

On the day I departed, my father suddenly handed me this and said, “Instead of armor, wear this. It’s a special dress I prepared for you when you become an adventurer, err… I mean, when you marry an aristocrat! Since it’s made using the threads of the killer caterpillar monster known as the Genocide Worm, even blades cannot pierce it! You can feel safe even if you enter a life-or-death battle with your mother-in-law!”

“Th-thank you very much… But a dress…”

“Bwahaha, it’s cute, right!”

“Yes, it is…”

After all of this, I ended up wearing it, and its durability was as my father claimed. It was tough against abrasions and resilient to dirt. It was far more durable than your standard leather armor. I believe the threads from the Genocide Worm were capable of self-repair, so this dress would last. It was like this dress was ordered specifically from the beginning for an adventurer to use.

It looked very clean and cute, but you know…

“Sigh… it’s the best gear I could ask for, but I stand out too much!”

It would be fine to wear at an aristocratic party (although I was never invited to one!), but it looked terribly out of place in a dangerous dungeon. I was originally a gloomy person, so standing out stressed me greatly. But I also couldn’t remove this and wear some cheap adventuring gear. After all, I had been injured inside a dungeon, couldn’t move, and was skewered all over to death. That experience taught me the great importance of gear. Until I could find something with the same quality as this dress, I would have to stick with it.

Sigh. I tried to wear a red cape to disguise from afar that I was wearing a dress, but people still stared. I was restless and believed this was what everyone thought.

“Doesn’t she have any shame? A destitute lady smiling like an idiot in an outfit that doesn’t suit her?”